Warwickshire complete signing of Hanuma Vihari

Warwickshire have completed the signing of Hanuma Vihari. India’s middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari has joined English county Warwickshire for the upcoming first-class season. The 27-year-old would most likely be a part of at least three games for the Birmingham based side. 


"Yes, Vihari will be playing in the English county side for Warwickshire this season. He would play a few games. He is in England now," Sportstar quoted a senior BCCI official as saying. 

As the contract is still being finalised, the official announcement from the County has not come yet. With Vohari already having left for England, it is most likely that within a day or two the announcement would be made. 

An integral part of the Indian Test set-up, the Andhra batsman is looking to sharpen his skills ahead of the all-important World Test Championship and a full-fledged tour of England. 

Vihari, who has scored 624 runs in 12 Tests at an average of 32.84, was last seen in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match between Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. He last international innings is hailed as one of the best fighting knocks by an Indian on foreign soil which came in Sydney where he and Ravichandran Ashwin batted on for more than 400 deliveries to draw a crucial Test match. 

Vihari got injured in that very game and to gain full fitness and match practice he has decided to pursue a county stint as he was not picked by any franchise in the IPL. 

"With a curtailed domestic season this time and Vihari being a part of the Test side, he needs match practice. All his other Test colleagues are part of IPL teams, including Cheteshwar (Pujara). Even if it's white-ball games, they will be fit and match-ready," the BCCI source added about Vihari. 

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The Hundred: Sarah Taylor joins Welsh fire, makes comeback after two-year break

Former England Women’s star cricketer Sarah Taylor has decided to make a comeback to competitive cricket as she joined Welsh Fire one of the eight franchise teams of The Hundred Women’s competition. "There has been a real buzz about The Hundred, and especially the women’s competition. We’ve got the best players from around the world involved and the temptation to be part of it was too great to resist,” Taylor was quoted as saying in Wales Cricket Board’s press release. Taylor, 31 had quit all forms of competitive cricket in 2019 citing that anxiety issues plaguing her personally. Back then she had said, “This has been a tough decision but I know it’s the right one, for me and for my health moving forward. I am extremely proud of my career.” Now, excited to play, Sarah wishes that Welsh Fire which play their first game against Northern Superchargers at Headingley, Leeds on July 24 could have a great first season. Commenting on the two times World Cup winner’s comeback to cricket, Beth Barrett-Wild, head of The Hundred Women’s competition said, "Sarah Taylor is a truly extraordinary cricketer, who has made a habit of breaking new ground in the game throughout her career.” “It’s highly appropriate therefore that she will feature in The Hundred this summer – a competition which has the potential to transform women’s cricket,” she added. The London born Taylor is one of the finest wicket-keeper batters to have ever graced women’s cricket. She has the second-highest number of dismissals in both ODIs and T20Is with the joint highest number of stumpings in both formats. In ODIs, she has 51 stumpings, equal to India’s Anju Jain while in T20Is too she has 51 stumpings, equal to Australia’s Alyssa Healy. Overall she has the most number stumpings for any women’s cricketer, all formats combined. The tally sits at 104, way ahead of Healy’s 74. Sarah also has to her kitty, 6533 runs, once again the most for any wicket-keeper batter in women’s game.

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Who's faster between Kohli & Dhoni? Star Sports to introduce new metrics in IPL 14

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